Mystic Musings from the Zen Room
Entering the Year of the Wooden Horse!
by Valerie O'Brien on 01/26/14
On the 31st January we will be shifting from Snake energy to Wooden Horse energy and this is not a bad thing at all...we will leave behind a lot of turmoil and world conflicts and tragedies...so that's a very good thing indeed! According to the Chinese it will be a lucky year...one where we should look ahead, not back.
The year of the wooden horse is said to be a year for those who are ready for a thrilling ride...a year full of opportunities to grab if you want a prosperous year...but this does not mean it will come easy peasy. The year of the wooden horse is a rather temperamental year and those who are strong and have perseverance, are competitive and capable of working hard for what they want will be able to achieve whatever they want to achieve...manifesting their reality!
The Horse symbolizes masculine qualities and interests above all else...but this does not mean it is all about physical prowess and sports...but more about teamwork, social life and being one of the gang! Key word for Horse is "Fellowship"...so it is a year to be a good, generous, peace loving and kind individual...because the world will need a lot of that loving energy in the year ahead!
So journey forward into the year of the wooden horse with many blessings and opportunities and know that all your hard work and loving kindness will serve you well!
Reiki Blessings, Val
The Reiki Path We Are Meant to Follow
by Valerie O'Brien on 01/22/14
Over the years I have never doubted that the students I have been blessed with teaching Reiki to and thereby being a small part of their Reiki path were meant to take a Reiki course with me. That is not ego or arrogance... but a simple truth...we had something to share/exchange...a connection to make in order to learn something from each other. I have never taught a Reiki course where I did not walk away learning something from my Reiki student/s. I am always learning and expanding and growing...each Reiki student helps me with this process...whether it is through their questions or knowledge base/life experiences that they already have...it is always a sharing/exchange of knowledge and ideas and wisdom. Now having said all that I also know within my heart that they also are meant to be taught Reiki in 4 levels as I was taught...not because it is better but because that is just the way it is meant to be. I teach Reiki in 4 Levels...Reiki I, Reiki II, Advanced Reiki, and the Reiki Master Level. I love doing it this way because it allows me to take the student beyond the second level of Reiki to explore working with energy at a deeper level of understanding and introduce such beautiful/wondrous topics as Crystals... and making healing crystal grids and understanding those 7 amazing energy centers in our bodies called Chakras and how to tap into Auras and their colors to aid in helping a person on their healing journey...how to address clearing ones energy field and removing blocks to help the energy to flow easier and more efficiently which aids the bodies ability to heal. There have been so many Reiki students who want to understand so much about the workings of Universal Life Force Energy at such a deeper level without taking on the responsibility of Reiki Master...which is a very big life choice and a path that not all choose to walk...and that is ok. We are all meant to walk the Reiki path that is just for us...some it is learning Reiki just for themselves...others it is for themselves and family & friends and pets...and still others it is to expand their awareness to connect to the world ...and then there are the teachers...the ones destined to walk the path of Reiki Master/Teacher. No matter what path you choose or if you learn Reiki in 3 or 4 levels it will be the path meant for you.
I have recently been made aware that those of us who teach Reiki in 4 levels are coming under scrutiny because it is believed we are not staying true to the traditional Usui style of Reiki that is taught in 3 levels. I was very saddened by this thought process as it will cause confusion and doubt for new students wanting to follow the Reiki path but are unsure what constitutes traditional Reiki. I teach Usui Shiki Ryoho which is the traditional style of Reiki...the only difference in my teachings is I have taken the 3rd level and split it into two separate courses...giving my students the option of going beyond Reiki II without having to commit to the Reiki Master/Teacher level...I have also split the cost between the two courses...so there is no extra cost to do it in 4 levels as opposed to doing it in 3 levels.
I am always trying to stay aware of what is going on in the world of Reiki and shifts and changes to information coming out of Japan about Mikao Usui and his teachings. From everything I have learned over the years it is very different how we here in the Western world teach Reiki compared to how Usui taught it...he did not do formal teachings but had students working on clients/patients in a healing center for months at a time and when he felt they had truly learned the healing art of Reiki they then had completed their training...so my thinking is who says 3 levels or 4 levels are the only way to learn Reiki...the student finds the teacher that is right for them and that teacher will teach in a way that is right for them and the student ...and as long as we remain respectful and honor the Reiki path we are meant to follow...let us not stand in judgement on someone who may do it a little different. I believe having guidelines and a lineage are very important when teaching Reiki to others...otherwise you would have the fly-by-nights who will do an attunement without the imparting of knowledge and understanding... leaving a student with more questions and no guidance...which is not what Reiki is about. There is a rich history with wisdom and sacred knowledge that needs to be learned and savored that is all part of walking the Reiki path.
So I guess what I am really trying to say is feel good about the Reiki path you are on and Blessed may you always be where ever it may take you...because that is the Reiki path you are meant to follow.
Reiki Blessings, Val
A Cup of Tea...A Cup of Enlightenment...Stepping out of the Duality!
by Valerie O'Brien on 11/19/13I recently read...
"A cup of tea … a cup of enlightenment!"
In an act of having a cup of tea there is no good...no bad... no gain...no loss...no success... no failure... nothing but absolute calm. While we enjoy a cup of tea we are in time and space of calm and peacefulness...there is no duality... and that is a state of enlightenment.
This very simple observation really spoke to me...as so often in our busy world we take on so much....often overwhelming ourselves and creating stress and losing some of the authentic person we normally are...creating a duality...a persona that is us but not quite us. We might become cranky and tired and stressed and aggressive or just plain overloaded and disillusioned and over sensitive. We have in essence become an aspect of ourselves...this is when it is soooo important to step out of that duality and enjoy that cup of Tea or that very serene soak in the bath or that hike to the top of a mountain that over looks lakes and forest...taking that deep time-out breathe and connecting to the authentic you...without the chaos and stress....a conscious decision not to answer the phone or check the e-mails or go on Facebook or turn on the TV or other communication device...a chance to "Just Be"...that is when we can once again see the path...the one we are all looking for...the one that brings us to that precious state of enlightenment!
So go have a cup of tea...a cup of enlightenment...I promise you will be grateful you did!
Blessed may you be always!....Reiki Blessings, Val
Life is Meant to be Lived not Feared!
by Valerie O'Brien on 04/21/13
I find life a very fascinating teacher...because if I do not get or understand something right away...it becomes a repetitive constant in my life until I finally get it! I have been getting these really rather annoying ocular migraines lately and no matter what I do to heal them they keep coming back on a more frequent basis. So the other day I am at one of my Reiki Friends coffee get togethers and one of the ladies there (thank-you Alison) shows us a print out of an astrology forecast that a friend of hers had sent her...it is titled "Pluto Retrograde 2013"...and I will not go into everything it mentions other than to say...good grief I should of had a V8 (tongue in cheek)...or in this case I should have remembered to check what was happening with the Earths & Universes energy and when the retrogrades were...I am always super sensitive during those periods and with the whole 2012 behind us we are now rebirthing our consciousness into a more enlightened state and as most (especially women) know the whole birthing process can be rather eventful and not always the easiest time in our lives! If you feel your head spinning or doing the fireworks mine likes to do...it is because so much is happening at such a rapid pace we are having a hard time keeping up to all the information overload coming through...but do not get over-whelmed...just step back take that deep breathe and trust that everything is unfolding the way it is meant to and whether you "Get It" now or later it is all good...Life...the Universe...the Divine...what ever you want to call it...has infinite patience and will continue to work with you until you are ready. Too many people fear change and transitions and really struggle with moving foreward in their lives...so life has a way of nudging us till we realize it is time to take that step...Life is not a competition or a race...we all get to go at the pace we feel most comfortable with. I mention this because with all this intense energy happening for most of 2013... dreams have become so much more vivid and prophetic...Spirit animals and guides are coming through with more and more messages and there just seems to be an over-whelming amount of spiritual happenings going on all around us...some say "Cool!" and others are just shaking in their shoes... so I say again life is meant to be lived not feared! If you are on information over load step back and just get on with your life...do not get caught up with the things that confuse or frighten you...go to a movie (a funny one is good) or attend your childs soccer game or just live your life...everything is happening the way it is meant to and if you are not personally aware or involved in the going on's in the Universe that is OK...trust and faith is my mantra! You do not always have to know why something is happening as long as you trust it is happening for a reason and if you are taking good care of yourself and your loved ones...you are happy...you are loving and loved...then you are on the right track and you do not need to worry about retrogrades or sun or moon cycles...they help us understand things a bit better... but are not necessary to live our lives! The most important thing is to live your life... not fear it! We have come a long way and fear is no longer the deep dark mind numbing crippling state it once was...more and more we realize how we create our Universe and therefore our lives and with that awareness comes the power to eliminate the fear that once gripped us!
So with that all said and done...please creatively live the life you want and shine a bright light on any fears...that will send them packing!
Many Reiki Blessings for a full and wonderful life!...Valerie
Coming out of the Cocoon...Entering the Year of the Snake!
by Valerie O'Brien on 02/11/13
Well we are blesed to be entering the year of the snake...accordng to the Chinese New Year that occurred on the 10th February 2013. What exactly does this mean for the year ahead you may ask...well first lets take a brief look back to last year - 2012 and see what was happening then... and how we are now looking for new beginnings because this year means a whole lot of change when we look at what is going to happen...so the past year and the year ahead shows us what is happening in right NOW! Clear as mud...hmmm...stay with me and it will come together I promise.
First if we look back a 2012...most of us will see a whole lot of cocooning going on in our personal and business lives. It was a time of inner reflection, healing and just trying to shield ourselves from all the chaotic energy that was happening all over the planet. Mother Earth was doing major detoxing with earthquakes and floodings and superstorms happening all over the place. People were fearing the worst for the ending of the Mayan calendar on the 21st December 2012...and with all this fear and chaotic energy happening, so many of us lightworkers cocooned ourselves as a protective measure against all the chaos. I know I really had a hard time coming down off my mountain where I live and have my Reiki practice. The world just felt out of sorts. As the 21st December approached...the energy got worse..but on the Winter solstice it was like we were in the eye of the storm...total calm and quiet...people waited for something to happen and it was very anti-climatic...nothing out of the ordinary did...like so many light workers had been saying for a long time. The fear so many had was for nothing...but man did it create an aweful feeling world wide...because fear feeds on fear and creates it's own negative like vortex that so many get caught up in.
Now let's look at this brand New Year ...2013...it sure feels pretty good. The world did not end and now there is hope and possibilitis and a renewed sense of optimism...life is good! So we shed the cocoon and protective shield we had put in place and are ready to poke our noses out of that hole...come down the mountain and see what life holds for us. There are so many possiblities...where do we start?
Well we are looking at the year of the Snake...so what does that mean. Patient, dangerous and ever alert, the snake has power that it would be folly to underestimate... the same is true for the Year of the Snake. This is a time of powerful undercurrents and far-reaching effects. Snake years are times of dramatic events which can alter the course of history. Some will fare better in the Snake year than others, but there will be opportunities to do something personally constructive for everyone. This will be a great year to gain new insights and reconnect with the real/authentic you. A time for adding to your knowledge base and capabilities...take courses, learn a new job skill or language, start a new business venture...use your time well so you may do well!As the Chinese proverb reminds us... "If you have foresight, you are blessed, but if you have insight, you are a thousand times blessed".
So may all of you be a thousand times Blessed in the Year of the Snake!
Blessings, Valerie
